Registration of serial numbers and other indicia of ownership of automobiles, tools, electronic and computer equipment, jewelry and the like items with law enforcement and other governmental agencies has become an increasingly important protection means against theft or other such criminal activities. The prominent location of such permanent identification indicia on the item, where possible, is believed to increase the protection achieved, as well as offering other similar advantages. One such example of the prominent display of selected identification numbers providing added theft protection is to have the vehicle identification number permanently affixed to the glass windows of an automobile.
Heretofore, there existed the problem of applying a uniform array of characters to windows installed in an automobile in prominent but non-obtrusive locations. Application of alphanumeric characters in a regular pattern relative to the structural parts of an automobile is particularly difficult because of the large number of characters required, and the variety of configurations and sizes of the vehicles and the windows installed therein.
Many different lettering guides, stenciling devices and/or templates for printing, lettering or the like are known and have been used commercially over the years such as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,035 to Beck, U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,940 to Corpening, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,422 to Pass and U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,197 to Pagalies. To the best of our knowledge, however, all of these known devices can be used only with flat or other regular surfaces, such as sheets of paper, boxes, walls, etc., and/or with conventional marking medium such as ink, paint, etc. Moreover, none of these devices are flexible or small enough to be useful in close, generally obstructed areas and/or with irregular shapes, nor would they be suitable for use with chemical treating compounds to mark by etching or the like for increased permanency of the marking.
Recently, it has been suggested that stencils which are specially prepared with a particular identification number may be used to mark glass surfaces such as automobile windows by treating with a chemical etching material. However, as would be evident, this system can be used to mark only one particular set of characters generally on only one surface and will require fabrication of new stencils for each different set of characters with the attendant inconveniences of lost time and increased cost. Moreover, it would not be known until the specially prepared stencil was fabricated whether it could be used for a particular application.
Accordingly, it would be desirable if a guide system was developed for facilitating the tracing or reproduction of alphanumeric characters which was adaptable for use with a wide range of receiving surfaces as well as being suitable to readily trace or reproduce a large array of characters to, for example, display automobile identification numbers on several of the vehicle windows which are properly oriented with respect to each successive character and to the receiving surface to which it is applied.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel guide system for tracing alphanumeric characters on a variety of receiving surfaces wherein a particular combination of stencils may be employed and wherein a plurality of alphanumeric characters are traced or reproduced having a desired orientation with respect to one another and to the receiving surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel kit for producing tracings or reproductions of arrays of specific alphanumeric characters on a variety of receiving surfaces having a desired orientation with respect to each other and to the receiving surface.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel stencil set for producing tracings or reproductions of a long array of specific alphanumeric characters on desired locations having irregular shaped receiving surfaces.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel kit for permanently providing vehicle identification indicia on the desired location of all the windows of an automobile to provide additional theft protection for said automobile.
Yet still another object of the invention is to provide a guide system for permanently providing tracings or reproductions of a variety of combinations of alphanumeric characters on glass or the like receiving surfaces.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects, and others as will become apparent in the course of the ensuing specification are achieved by a kit suitable for facilitating the tracing or reproduction of an array of specific alphanumeric characters on a plurality of receiving surfaces. The kit includes a set of stencils, the first of which has a plurality of cutouts, preferably rectangular in shape, in a desired array. Registration marks are provided at opposite edge portions of the cutouts. A plurality of second stencils are provided, each having a cutout defining an alphanumeric character of a size receivable within the area defined by the cutouts in the first stencil, and preferably, corresponding to the size of the cutouts. Registration marks are present about the edge portions of the cutouts in the second stencils. In use, the edge portions of the second stencils coincide with and preferably overlie the edge portions of the cutouts in the first stencil, and the registration mark indicia associated with the coinciding edge portions of the first and second stencils indicate the accurate orientation of the alphanumeric character stencils with respect to the cutouts in the first stencil. This accurate registration enables subsequent use of the stencils in forming the alphanumerics upon the receiving surfaces, e.g., an automobile window.
Preferably, one or more of the first stencils are supported by and releasably adherent to a flexible, transparent plastic support panel, which can also serve as a template for locating the first stencil on a receiving surface. The plurality of alphanumeric character second stencils are also preferably supported on a flexible, transparent plastic support panel which can assist in their handling and placement. The support panel plays an important role in locating and aligning the registration mark indicia of the desired alphanumeric character second stencils with the appropriate cutouts in the first stencil and then in transferring the alphanumeric character stencils to the first stencil in the specific array to be reproduced. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that the novel kit of the present invention and the novel combination of stencils provided therewith, surprisingly enables the ready alignment of a plurality of specific alphanumeric character stencils in a desired array on a wide variety of receiving surfaces, such as the surfaces of installed automobile windows, thus making possible the tracing or reproduction of the array of characters on the receiving surface at a desired location. To provide for the permanent marking of the window surfaces such as would be required for vehicle identification numbers to serve in theft protection applications, suitable chemical glass or the like etching compounds may be provided with the novel kit of the invention, the stencil materials of the invention being compatible therewith.
There is also provided, in accordance with the present invention, a method for permanently providing an identification number on the glass window surfaces of an automobile which comprises the steps of:
a. providing a first stencil having an array of cutouts with registration marks at opposite edge portions of each of the cutouts and locating the stencil at a desired location on an automobile window surface;
b. providing a plurality of second stencils having cutouts defining selected alphanumeric characters substantially the size of the cutouts in the first stencil, and having opposite edge portions thereof with registration marks which coincide with and preferably overlie the registration mark indicia associated with the edge portions of the cutouts in the first stencil and depositing the second stencils in the desired cutouts in the array of cutouts in the first stencil; and
c. treating the combination of stencils deposited on an automobile window surface with a means for reproducing the alphanumeric characters defined by the second stencils on the glass receiving surface of the automobile window.
It has been found that in accordance with the method of the invention, essentially unlimited combinations of alphanumercial characters including vehicle registration numbers can be readily and permanently applied to a desired location on a variety of receiving surfaces such as automobile windows. The method permits a selected array of alphanumeric characters to be applied at a desired location, the display achieved thereby being readily discernible and not aesthetically undesirable, and the presence thereof affording the automobile owners an additional degree of protection against theft.